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Why do you need a physical sim in China? Are there just no esim providers? Or is it something deeper?
by rendaw 2y ago
Why do you need a physical sim in China? Are there just no esim providers? Or is it something deeper?
- jtokoph 2y agoApparently there aren't any eSIMs in China that include a phone number. I'm not sure why. I think this is why Apple releases the latest iPhones with physical SIM trays in China while the latest iPhones in North America are eSIM only
- gruez 2y ago>while the latest iPhones in North America are eSIM only It's US that's esim only. Canada and Mexico still has physical sim + esim option if you're willing to drive across the border. https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/ https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/ https://www.apple.com/ca/iphone/compare/ https://www.apple.com/ca/iphone/compare/ https://www.apple.com/mx/iphone/compare/ https://www.apple.com/mx/iphone/compare/
- __m 2y agoI only know eSIM providers for data
- gruez 2y agoMost "travel esims" are data-only, but there are definitely domestic carriers/MVNOs that provide voice + text, and provide esims.
- kccqzy 2y agoBut normally you wouldn't want to use a local SIM in China because of the great firewall. I usually buy local SIMs but China is an exception. I can't live without Wikipedia.
- emnudge 2y agoIt’s to connect phone numbers to identities. Getting a physical sim in China involves going in person to a store where they keep your passport and a mugshot (you hold a paper with your number on it) in a database. There’s no free WiFi without requiring a phone number. It allows the government to connect internet users to real identities.
- hintymad 2y agoA big reason is that an eSIM is virtual, which means anyone can easily get an eSIM that allows them to punch through the great firewall -- a defeat that the Chinese government would never allow to happen